Spicy shrimp tacos

Happy Sunday! What did everyone get up to this semi-sunny weekend? Since it was St Paddy’s yesterday, I went out for an Irish brunch and enjoyed a couple pints of beer out by the water in the sun. Then I did some grocery shopping and made some decidedly un-Irish food for dinner: shrimp tacos! Now that the weather is getting warmer, and especially after a conference I attended in Boston (so much Italian food and chowder), I’ve been craving lighter, seafood-focused meals. This was super easy to make despite having a couple different components (translation: lots of dishes). Next time, i’ll add something crunchy like a slaw, since it seemed to lack some textural element.

On the shrimp note, I always make sure I choose sustainable shrimp in my dishes. Shrimp can range from being super unsustainable to very eco-friendly, so it’s important to know what you’re buying i.e. what practices you are supporting. Most shrimp sold in North America is from Asia, raised in traditional ponds. A couple issues associated with these ponds include use of antibiotics (some of which are highly or critically important to human health) and the deforestation of mangrove forests in order to make space in estuarine habitats for these ponds. As antibiotic resistance is a serious concern, it’s best not to support farms that use antibiotics prophylactically and in unregulated ways. If you’re thinking wild shrimp is a great alternative, the reality is that the majority of wild shrimp found on the market is caught with along with lots of other non-target sea creatures (called bycatch). Personally, I prefer my shrimp without a side of sea turtle and shark death. Not to mention the human rights issues that are rife on shrimping vessels. So what’s the solution? I go for farmed shrimp, but ones raised with zero antibiotics, carrying a credible eco-logo.

Ingredients

Sustainable shrimp

Cayenne

Paprika

Onion powder

Olive oil

Garlic

Corn tortillas

Avocados

1 small tomato

1 jalapeno

Cilantro

4-5 limes

Tabasco

Sour cream

Method

Remove the shells from the shrimp. Mix shrimp with the cayenne, paprika, onion powder, a splash of olive oil, and about 5 cloves of chopped garlic. Leave to marinate.

Make a guacamole by mashing up about 2 avocados, 1 small roma tomato, chopped cilantro, lime juice, and tabasco sauce.

Make a sour cream sauce by mixing the sour cream with chopped cilantro and the juice and zest of a lime.

Cook the shrimp in a pan for about 4-5 minutes or until done.

Assemble tacos by taking warmed tortillas, and piling on the guacamole, cooked shrimp, sour cream sauce, and top with as much cilantro or lime juice as you’d like to add.